A win would guarantee Argentina automatic qualification, while a draw will be enough unless Ecuador can beat the already-qualified Chile by five clear goals. Should the latter scenario unfold, Argentina would be forced into a play-off against the fourth-placed finishers from the Central America and Caribbean group.

If Argentina lose, however, then Uruguay claim the final automatic qualifying spot. Leo Messi and co will then be out if Ecuador win, or back in the play-off if Ecuador lose or draw.

Incidentally, whilst those three teams are essentially playing off for the final qualifying spot and lone play-off berth, it is still technically possible that Venezuela could muscle their way in. All that needs to happen is that Chile and Argentina both win, and Venezuela thump Brazil by a sufficient margin to overturn their 15-goal deficit on Uruguay. Simple, eh?

In case you haven't seen them yet, here are the highlights from a crazy World Cup qualifier between Argentina and Peru last Saturday. Argentina won 2-1 in apocalyptic conditions (hence the blurry pictures in the closing stages - it was bucketing down). One of the most extraordinary incidents to occur in the game is missing from this clip - after Martin Palermo had put Argentina ahead for the second time in the 93rd minute, Peru kicked off and one of their players hit the crossbar with a shot from the halfway line.

Interesting stat: In 175 meetings between these two sides, Argentina have won 82 games, Uruguay have won 54 and they've drawn 39. The score on aggregate is: Argentina 285-213 Uruguay, a scoreline that wouldn't be out of the question tonight if Uruguay weren't so reliant on Diego Forlan to score their goals for their them.

It'll be interesting to see how Argentina go about their business tonight - a point will do them, but if they sit back and attempt to park the bus the outcome could be catastrophic for them, because the evidence of recent matches suggest they can't defend for toffee. No team news yet, but I'll bring it to you as soon as I have it.

Pre-match niceties: You're on Sky Sports is over, Ossie Ardiles, Trevor Francis and Gus Poyet have had their pre-match say in the studio and the pictiuires are being beamed in from Montevideo, where Argentina line up in navy blue shirts and white shorts, while their hosts line up in pale blue shirts and navy shorts.

Gus Poyet and Ossie Ardiles predict several sendings-off and I can't think of the last time I've looked forward to a match this much. Just the three changes from Maradona tonight, who leaves his son-in-law Sergio Aguero in the stands. That should make for a frosty atmosphere around the dinner table this Christmas.

1 min: Uruguay kick off, playing from left to right as the camera gazes unblinkingly out on to the field. They immediately win a throw-in deep in Argentina territory. Nothing comes of it.

2 min: Marvellous play from Luis Suaraz, who scuttles down the left wing, cuts inside, beats two men and pulls the ball back from the byline. With the Argentina defence ripped asunder, there's nobody there to drill the ball home.

4 min: Argentina get carved open again as Uruguay attack on the break. Wide on the right, Jorge Rodriguez sends a sweeping cross-field pass into the path of Suarez, who's beaten to the ball by Srgio Romero, who rushes out of his penalty area to hack the ball clear. His clearance hits Suarez, but the ricochet is well wide.

5 min: Uruguay's players are working very hard here, riffing on the pain of a nervy Argentinian defence. They're not giving their visitors a moment's peace on the ball, pressing and harrying in a bid to get them to make mistakes.

7 min: Cambiasso, Samuel, Riquelme, Aguero, Aimar, Zanetti, Tevez ... just a selection of the players available to Maradona, who haven't made the cut tonight. Astonishing. Gabriel Heinze gets booked for a scything lunge on ... sorry, didn't see. Free-kick for Uruguay, wide on the right about 30 yards outside the Argentina penalty area.

10 min: Rodriguez takes the free-kick, swinging a lovely left-footed effort into the mixer. Andres Scotti gets his head on it and flicks it goalwards, but his effort flashes past the upright and wide.

11 min: "Could this be the day of redemption for Veron?" asks Abbas Hussain. "Ironic how after all these years he is seen as a key part of the final leg of the qualifying games. 2002 was ultimately seen as the failure of Veron and (Bielsa Chile Coach). Irony is that these two could play a big part tonight."

12 min: Argentina win a free-kick inside the Uruguay half, which Veron sends into the penalty area. It's cleared and breaks for Gabriel Heinze, who is flattened by Maxi Pereira. The Urugayan defender who plays his club football for Benfica gets a yellow card for his efforts.

15 min: Di Maria is dispossessed just outside the Uruguay box by a fine Martin Cacares challenge. He charges forward but shows too much of the ball to Juan Seba Veron, whose wild slash sends the ball out for a throw-in.

15 min: The yellow card is out again - this time it's Argentinian full-back Nicolas Otamendi who's on the receiving end. Three bookings in the first 16 minutes? I think it's safe to say the red will be flashed before this game ends. That said, it's not a particularly dirty game. Yet.

17 min: Some handbags between Martin Demichelis and Luis Suarez, with the former reaching behind him to try and cuff the latter in the chops after being subjected to an unsavoury challenge. He doesn't make contact.

20 min: "Is the Gutierrez on the pitch tonight the very same Jonas Gutierrez who plays for Newcastle United?" asks Jesse Ziter. "On the pitch, by way of clarification, for the Argentinian national football team?" Yes. "Really?" Yes. "Genuinely?" Yes. "Surely this is an abhorrent bit of team selection, conspicuously arranged through some dark forces or some sinister trickster figure. Or is Maradonna actually that gormless?" I actually thought he looked quite impressive whenever I saw him playing for Newcastle last season - in so far as anyone playing for Newcastle looked iompressive last season.

24 min: Things you've missed while I was searching in vain for the electronic doohickey that's supposed to show the score automatically: nothing.

25 min: Argentina ping the ball around in midfield to little effect, before winning a throw-in inside the final third. It's taken and within five seconds the ball has gone 50 yards backwards.

26 min: Diego Forlan concedes a free-kick about 50 yards from the Uruguay goal with a foul on Mascherano. Veron sends the ball into the penalty area, but it's too high for Heinze and DiMichelis and sails wide. Interestingly, while the ball was on it's way into the box, Diego Lugano was wrestling Heinze to the ground on the edge of the six-yard box. That's a penalty, surely?

29 min: Argentina win another free-kick in the Uruguay half, after Di Maria was felled by Maxi Pereira. Veron floats the ball into the penalty area and Uruguay keeper Fernando Muslera punches clear.

31 min: Half an hour gone and Lionel Messi gets his first mention for sending a long-range free-kick straight into the hands of Fernando Muslera.

33 min: Uruguay, who are second best in this contest after half an hour, attack. Alvaro Pereira gallops down the left and drills the ball into the penalty area. Gabriel Heinze clears.

36 min: "I was lucky enough to catch a game in that stadium a couple of months ago," writes Phil Gill. "The Copa Liberadetores semi between Estudiantes and Nacional of Montevideo. The atmosphere was incredible, woefully over crowded, fires in the stand, lads falling from dodgy vantage points and the home supporters carrying an arsenal of halloween type rockets which they fired into the opposing fans... now thats what football is meant to be like!!!" No it isn't. Football is meant to be one fan per seat, no drinking in the stands, no smoking in the stands, no fireworks, no climbing, no falling, no shouting, no cheering, no hissing, no booing, no throwing, no fun. And that'll be £50 please.

40 min: Argentina win a free-kick deep inside their own half, when Maxi Perreira upends Gabriel Heinze. It was something and nothing, but the way he's going, I'd be prepared to bet a whopping 10p that Pereira will not be on the field when the referee blows the final whistle.

41 min: It's nearly half-time and Argentina are looking fairly comfortable. Uruguay haven't created much in the way of goalscoring opportunities and are looking fairly toothless for a team that's third or fourth in the goalscoring charts in this South American qualifying campaign.

43 min: Di Maria goes galloping down the left flank and tries, unsuccessfully, to hurdle a reckless tackle from my old mucker Maxi Pereira. More by accident than design, the ball bobbles off Perera's shin, sort of legitimising the challenge. He's treading on very thin ice.

45 min: Brilliant play by Di Maria, who charges out of his penalty area, controls a dropping ball in mid-air with a combination of foot and hand, then charges forward into the Uruguay half. His final delivery, a through-ball to Higuain, is dismal and Fernando Muslera claims possession.

Half-time

Half-time analysis: "Am supporting Argentina, without much hope, as can't understand how they got from that perfect 6-0 defeat of Serbia to this, and not sure it is worth having Messi et al in South Africa in this state," writes Sunder Katwala, formerly of this parish. "But also because, even despite the Hand of God, can't really forgive Uruguay for their shocking behaviour, and treatment of poor Scotland, in 1986." You mean this treatment?

"These South Americans really have too much fiery passion, and not enough brains it seems," writes Kegz. "Plenty of silly and pointless bookings already, yet most players are still throwing themselves at anything that moves like a bunch of madmen! Considering the stakes on offer, surely even a bunch of footballers, not being the smartest knives in the average drawer, should be able to show a little restraint?"

"Disappointed to hear Uruguay are so lacklustre," writes Joe Meredith, whose craven need to get out more will become apparent in a minute. "It'll be 2-0 Argentina, then? Oh well. At least my favourite chef won the US Hell's Kitchen finale. Small comforts."

Meanwhile in Chile: "The match is very hard fought, a bit like a Premier League game and the stadium in Santiago is unerringly like one in England as it is right up close to the pitch," writes Colin Graham. "It is 0-0 and as it stands Argentina will actually qualify. Chucho Benitez from Birmingham City has gone close."

Back in Montevideo The Argentina players emerge from their subterranean air-raid shelter type dressing rooms, with Argentina manager Diego Maradona deep in conversation with a Fifia official. A couple of minutes later, Uruguay's players click-clack their way up the steps. It's up to them to take the game to Argentina in this half - they need to win to leap-frog Argentina and gain an automatic qualifying spot.

Second half: Argentina get things started after the interval. There are no changes on either side.

46 min: Lionel Messi picks up the ball deep in the opposition half, in the Uruguay left-back position. He's immediately surrounded by a swarm of Uruguayans, who muscle him off the ball and hack it clear.

47 min: Free-kick for Uruguay, wide on the right. The delivery is poor and barely beats the first man, but the ball is helped towards the post with a headed flick. Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero pounces on the loose ball.

49 min: Spotting Romero off his line and standing on the right-hand side of his goal,. Diego Forlan tries to curl a speculative effort in from distance. It's wide of the upright, but not so wide as to have Romero scrambling across his goal with a look of total horror on his face.

51 min: The stadium comes alive, which can only mean one thing: the seats are electrified and somebody's pulled the lever, or the South AMerican equivalent of Alan Green has told radio listeners that Chile have gone ahead against Ecuador in Santiago. It's the latter, obviously - which is good news for both Argentina and Uruguay.

54 min: Uruguay go on the attack after a sustained bout of Argentinian pressure. By the time I finish typing that sentence, Angel Di Maria has won possession back for Argentina, which means I could have not bothered with this block of text at all.

56 min: Another foul by Maxi Pereira, another free-kick for Argentina in the middle third. Nothing comes of it.

57 min: A corner for Uruguay ... Diego Forlan takes ... free-kick for Argentina. This is Scrappier than Scooby Doo's irritating nephew cutting bits out of a newspaper and sticking them in a big book. Uruguay substitution: Jorge Rodriguez off, Edinson Cavano on. Cavano takes up a position alongside Luis Suaraz in an attacking midfielder role.

61 min: In space on the ball and sprinting through the centre, Lionel Messi dinks the ball forward for Gonzalo Higuain to run on to. He times his run perfectly to stay onside, but there's too much weight on the ball and Fernando Muslera beats him to it.

62 min: A promising attack from Uruguay breaks down when Luis Suaraz wastes a couple of good crossing opportunities from the right-hand side of the Argentina penalty area. Rather than drill a low ball past Demichelis and across the face of goal, he tries to do too much and eventually concedes a free-kick for felling Gabriel Heinze.

64 min: Joe Meredith (half-time) is back and he's not happy. "I should get out more because I comment on the last round of a bloated, overlong, widely televised competition, in which weaker competitors with no chance are all eliminated by the halfway point, and the popular favourite, though somewhat handicapped, battles through in the end, winning a chance to further his career even though he doesn't really deserve it," he harrumphs. "Is the pot calling the CONEMBOL black here?"

67 min: Sean Ingle suckered me into covering this game by saying: "You might as well do it because you're going to be watching it at home anyway." It was a fair comment at the time, but what I forgot was that if I was watching a game this bad at home "anyway", I could abandon it and go to bed or watch the episode of Stargate Universe I have queued up on Sky+ instead.

70 min: Uruguay midfielder Martin Caceres and the referee square up in a scene that would have assorted pundits and journalists reaching for the smelling salts if it happened in a Premier League match, but seems de rigeur in South America. Urugay substitution: Cristian Rodriguez on, I have no idea who went off.

73 min: Uruguay captain Diego Lugano goes close, getting on the end of a Diego Forlan free-kick on the edge of the six-yard box, but flicking the ball wide. He had to break through a thicket of bodies to get into a scoring position and should have had about six penalties, such were the number of defenders hanging out of him as he tried to msucle his way through.

75 min: Angel Di Maria off, Fabian Monzon on. A defneder for a defender. With Chile beating Ecuador in Santiago, Argentina are content to play for a 0-0 draw here. They're defending with two banks of four sitting back defending, with Lionel Messi and Gonzaolo Higuain left to their own devices up front. Unless they score a goal in the next 15 minutes or so, Uruguay are heading for yet another play-off, against Costa Rica or Honduras.

81 min: Diego Forlan tries to slalom his way into the Argentina penalty area, but is foiled by a robust challenge from Rolando Schiavi.

82 min: Red card! Uruguay centre-half Martin Caceres gets his second yellow card, followed by the obligatory red (unless Graham Poll), for grabbing Jonas Guttierez's leg after the Argentina midfielder had beaten him for toe. It's a moronic foul.

GOAL! Uruguay 0-1 Argentina (Bolatti 84) From the stupid free-0kick conceded by Cacares, Veron Lionel Messi plays the ball short to Veron, who drills the ball into a packed Uruguay penalty area. The ball pings off a defender and drops nicely for Bolatti, who stabs it home from the edge of the six-yard box. Barring a disaster of epic proportions, Argentina have qualified for South Africa 2010.

87 min: Argentina substitution: Tevez is on, but I'm not sure who he replaced. It doesn't matter.

88 min: On TV, the commentator is making the point that, considering the number of different players Maradona has used since becoming manager of Argentina (80 odd), there's a very good chance we'll never hear of or see many of the players who are playing tonight. Only time will tell if Juan Seba Veron is destined to become one of the Disappeared.

90 +2 min: It's all over in Santiago, where Chile have beaten Ecuador, eliminating them from the touerenament. In Montevideo, the referee ends the game with three shrill blasts on his whistle and Maradona is mobbed by journalists and photographers. Argentina take the fourth automatic qualifying spot in South America, behind Brazil, Chile and Paraguay. Uruguay must settle for a play-off against Costa Rica or Honduras.